I've been content with not updating this thing, mainly because I have nothing interesting to write about. So here's what's been happening
Old Salem Crit-Winston Salem, NC
Ah, a race I had to actually travel for. This is an oddly familiar feeling. Course was roughly one half mile, half of which was uphill, located right in the middle of Old Salem. Lots of colonial period buildings and exhibits set up, so it was a pretty interesting environment.
The course was a pretty rough surface, crazy climb in the front straight away, less crazy climb between turns 1&2 and a super tight 3 three after the long downhill.
I was nervous about bombing that hill at 30mph and let my anxiety take me out of the race. I was hammering up the hill to make up time I lost in the corner, and each lap just kept sliding farther and farther back. I got dropped about 10 minutes in and lost in a sprint for 10th. Thus, ending my streak of not embarrassing results.
SC State Road Race Championships-Greenville, SC
I knew that this race was going to be tough for me, but I couldn't help but be excited for my state championships. I've only completed one road race this year and that was in March. The last road race I did in really hilly terrain, I pulled out of about 17 miles in. I went into the race feeling exceptional, but I tried to keep expectations low.
The first part of the course was climby and had a hard headwind. The middle section was smooth rolling. The ass end had some nasty climbs. My goal was to move to the front and backslide on the climbs. I didn't put myself in position on one of the last climbs on the lap and lost contact. Couldn't catch back up on the uphill start/finish straight away and then took the right turn into the wind, alone. Rode another lap to try to catch some other guys who had been dropped and chase together, but there was nobody. This one hurt a little.
USMC Mud Run-Columbia, SC
I haven't run without a bike on my shoulder since June. And I'm not very good at running to start off with. So here I was at a 4.5 mile off road, muddy obstacle course/running event. It hurt. I had a hard time with a good many of the upper body intensive obstacles... I'm a scrawny dude. I'm all kinds of sore and scraped up and trying to figure out if this was actually a good idea.
Vista Grand Prix-Columbia, SC
Previously I was hoping to do well at my home town race. I've done races around Columbia, but this was my first real race here. The weather was cool and rainy and I was excited. Too bad I woke up feeling like someone filled my legs with concrete.
I did my first high intensity effort during my warm up and knew I just didn't have it today. The cool rainy morning had turned into a humid misty afternoon by this point and I was sweating buckets on my trainer. I was hoping to just survive, or at least go out in a blaze of glory going after a prime or something... no such luck.
I didn't get off to a great start, but it wasn't terrible. I know now that I should have been farther up, but I didn't wanted to start burning matches at the beginning of the race knowing I didn't have that many.
A rider in front of me went down in the second corner. I watched him slide across the concrete sidewalk crumpled up and cringing and found a spot to get through. Slowing down to get around him and not crush anyone still on there bikes left me off of the back of the field. It was me and probably three other dudes. The rider right in front of me went down in corner three. I set up for the turn wider than he did and had to slow down to avoid him as he slid directly into my line and into the wooden barrier. I was now farther off of the back, screaming and cursing.
Stood and started hammering out of turn three and up the hill on the front stretch. I could see the pack but just couldn't ever catch them. It went on like this for about 10-15 minutes. Standing and hammering on the long stretches and trying to breathe on the short stretches. There was no one to chase with. I came up on one guy and we worked together for a lap, but he couldn't keep up. After a while I was going slower and slower at the top of the hill and into turn one. I couldn't keep up the pace I was riding and got caught by the pace car. I quietly exited the front stretch after getting lapped still cursing and mumbling about how crashing over one of the guys would have been a better option. At least then I would have gotten a free lap.
I'm disappointed with the way racing has gone the past few weeks. It's sent me spiraling into a bit of an existential crisis regarding my ability as a bike racer. There's always room on the bench at the softball league, but if you can't cut it in bike racing, there isn't any place for you to go. It's frustrating putting all of that work and suffering into something and not getting anything back out of it. I'm going into the 'cross season next weekend with a different attitude though. I think I'm better suited for cyclo-cross. And at least out there if you suck you can still have a lot of fun.
'Cross should be a different story. I think that's where my talents lie. I think it's going to be a good fall.
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